The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday claimed to have identified two more companies in connection with an ongoing money laundering probe.
In its progress report submitted to the Supreme Court, the FIA said that it had identified two additional companies -M/s Landmarks and National Gases (Pvt) Limited – tied up with the investigation.
The agency said it came to know of the two companies from a hard disk confiscated during the last week’s raid on Khoski Sugar Mills – an Omni Group-owned facility whose head Anwar Majeed is a close Zardari confidant.
The report said that M/s Landmark was a partnership firm between Zardari, Talpur and Azra Fazal, whereas M/s NGS had several members of the Majeed family holding key positions.
The agency also named five members of the Omni Group who, it claims, deposited funds into a private bank account, after which the funds were routed to various banks in London.
The FIA further alleged that, in addition to conventional banking channels, funds were also laundered via Hawala/Hundi system for the purchase of moveable and immovable properties overseas. The case was initially registered in 2015 against former Pakistan Stock Exchange chairman Hussain Lawai, who is widely believed to be close to former president Zardari.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court had ordered the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the Rs 35 billion money laundering case.
Published in Daily Times, September 7th 2018.a
